To shoe or not to shoe

The bare horse foot is easiest to maintain and obviously gives the horse the most natural foundation. I have done a lot of work with bare-foot horses, plowing, mowing, and logging. As long as we are working on field or woods dirt I see no need to shoe the horse from the stand point of what is best for the horses feet.
I do have shoes on my horses most of the time though because I use them regularly for logging. I started out from the beginning to learn how to shoe my own horses. I wanted to be able to recover quickly and cost effectively when a shoe was thrown during work. Even twenty years ago it was way too expensive to pay to have the horse shod by someone else. Being able to shoe my own is affordable, but it also gives my the flexibility to work on a couple of feet one afternoon, and can fit the shoeing in around other work.

The only reason I shoe my horses is for traction. I rarely have flat shoes on, more often caulked pulling type. When challenging a horse to move logs that are often in difficult places, and are never a controlled amount of weight, traction is one of the most important features to maintain the level of confidence the animal needs to accomplish the task. This is not traction just so they can walk without slipping, this is haunches down, nose to the ground, give it all you got kind of traction. We don’t work that hard all the time, but to make a logging operation successful on an on-going basis, that is what you need from time to time. Or you can go get the tractor. Carl

I almost totally agree with all Carl says here, so don’t shoe unless you have too. We have to shoe for exactly why Carl explains. We like to get on the big logs -as frequently if possible.

The only difference (probably just in the words written by Carl*), is that we would go get the snatch block and cable first. The tractor stays out of the woods, if possible. And it is possible to not take the tractor in the woods. We use physics, mechanical advantage and multiple hitches if the big log is in a hard place.

The reason we have to be well shod is because that is where the big trees are – in hard places, that is why they are there, they were hard to get the last time it was harvested – so they got left. We often harvest such trees that fit our selection criteria as over mature and in a state of decline. Big old trees, sometimes worth money, sometimes not to much. But big, heavy and in hard places to access.

I think that is missed point by many new folks to the rural world. Most forest have been harvested multiple times already. A truly pristine forest is about as rare as a flawless diamond. The amount of virgin forest left is tiny.

I also think allot of the big trees that are randomly scattered throughout a 75 year old average aged forest in Appalachia are seed trees left from the Seed Tree law that required you leave one seed tree per acre years ago. It was also not usually a great tree or the appropriate species for the site. They usually are wolf trees and have low limbs and lousy stems. But they probably did make some seeds…… which may or may not have influenced the regeneration of the forest.

* I would guess that Carl Russell doesn’t take the tractor in the woods much either, but was just joking…. If he has a tractor it is probably like mind and has at least one lousy tire and should stay on flat, dry ground to be able to pull itself around, or maybe load a log.

Jason Rutledge

I find it expensive to shoe, but find myself paying for it because of the rough ground we work on. Also the winter ice makes it a necessity.

I often wonder if it is truly necessary, but find myself afraid of the cracks & chips that the sharp rocks seem to inflict on my old boys.

They seem more comfortable on shoes, but had never had them (at least in the last 5 years) before they came here. I had never seen the older horse gallop until 3 days after he was shod.

My plan for this winter is to only shoe the younger horse with caulks. The older horse will be left barefoot unless we get more ice than snow, but that’s not likely as we are running ~2ft in the woods right now.

So I guess the answer to the question is-

Inexperience, relying on the farrier’s judgment

Shattered ledge rocks on most trails

Subjective comfort

Ice.

-Josh

this subject gets my, ” proud of my horses feet going.” hoof wall kept at sole plane, toes kept short, and very round edges, even to the point of using emery cloth after rasping. here in central oregon there are lots of rocks, for a long time i just said noway. then venturing further, the mares feet progressivly got iron like. i mean really tuff, no chips, even after a couple hundred feet through bowlingball size rocks. it takes alot of effort to get them to be that hard, and keep them there. lots of factors, the ground on which there kept mainly, having to walk through gravel to get a drink of water is a great thing.
bob h.

As Carl and Jason stated so well, shoeing for them is for traction.

horses should have shoe’s put on for specific reasons not put on because your neighbor has them or your grandfather did it.

1. traction.
a. pulling logs or loads
b. pulling wagons or equipment
c. parades or hay rides on pavement
d. prevent slipping on ice

2. protection from wearing hoof wall away on abrasive surfaces

3. sore footed
4. hospital plate to protgect foot while being treated for wound or infection.

5. corrective shoeing
a. splits/cracks
b.enhance an animals way of moving
c. raise foot off ground to prevent abcess caused by stones and flat soles.

Hi Jason !!! Haven’t seen you since I spoke with you at Paul Smith College.
Hope all is well with you.
Still have your suffolks ?

Bruce
http://www.nedrafthorseshoeing.com
vthorseshoe@aol.com